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William
Bentley was born at Bury, Lancashire in about 1837. By the
time
of the 1861 Census, however, he was living with his married elder
brother Samuel Bentley (b. c.1830) at Tottington Road, Elton, and
working as a "stripper and grinder." He married Jane Pepper (b. c.1840 Newcastle under Lyne) at Newcastle under Lyne in early 1866, and their first daughter Clemence was born at Bury in the first half of 1867. Their second daughter Kate Ann/Annie was born at Buxton c. 1868-1869, so they must have moved there by then. According to William Bentley's great-grandson, Charlie Bentley, they lived for a short while at The Broadwalk. Then, with a partner, he bought some land and built Buckingham House - then two lodging houses, now a hotel - in about 1875. Adamson (1997) shows Bentley working as a photographer in Buxton, with premises at 3 Market Place, Dunmore Square, from 1870 until 1872. Harrod's 1870 directory shows him already working by late 1869 (assumed compilation date), and I suspect that he was active from the time he first arrived there, i.e. between 1866 and 1869. By the time of the 1881 Census, William Bentley no longer described himself as a photographer. Presumably he found the business of letting out lodgings more lucrative, because he remained in that occupation at Buckingham House, Burlington Road, in nearby Fairfield, until at least 1891. By then he was a widower - his wife probably died between 1886 and 1891 since the youngest of his nine children was born c. 1886. |
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Unidentified
elderly woman (seated) and younger woman (standing) by William Bentley of 3 Market Place, Buxton Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s Format: Carte-de-visite Image © & courtesy of David Simkin Nothing
further is known about this photo |
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Unidentified
young couple by William Bentley of 3 Market Place, Buxton Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s Format: Carte-de-visite Size: Mount 63.5 x 103 mm Photo 56 x 92.5 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes |
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Unidentified
young woman by William Bentley of Market Place, Dunmore Square, Buxton Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s Format: Carte-de-visite Size: Mount 65 x 100 mm (trimmed at base) Image © & courtesy of Gail Waters Notes |
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References
Images kindly provided by Brett Payne, Gail Waters, Charlie Bentley & David Simkin 1881 UK Census - online from the LDS church 1861, 1871, 1891 & 1901 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com 1901 UK Census index - online from the PRO FreeBMD International Genealogical Index - online from the LDS church North East Midland Photographic Record - Picture the Past Anon (1870) Harrod & Co.'s Postal & Commercial Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Staffordshire. - from University of Leicester - Digital Library of Historical Directories. Wright C.N. (1874) Directory of South Derbyshire, Third Edition, October 1874, Derby. Adamson, Keith I.P. (1997) Professional Photographers in Derbyshire 1843 - 1914, The PhotoHistorian, No. 118 Supplement, September 1997, ISSN 0957-0209. Courtesy of John Bradley. |
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